Tracking the Tigers with MLB.com beat writer Jason Beck.

Monday: Magglio returns to lineup

It’s home opener day in Baltimore, and the weather is unbelievably gorgeous. The atmosphere is festive, and after the O’s swept the Rays over the weekend, the fans are nuts. Also a few Tigers fans here, though.

I think even if it weren’t so warm (like 70s warm), Magglio Ordonez probably would’ve been back in the lineup. There wasn’t so much as a limp on his ankle, and he seemed perfectly fine this morning when he showed no inclination to talk about his sore right ankle. With weather resembling spring training, there’s no doubt.

With that issue solved, the next question is how Leyland fits him into the lineup and who’s the odd man out. Today, it’s Ryan Raburn. Boesch starts in left field, Victor Martinez at DH and Alex Avila at catcher.

The bullpen will be interesting to watch today. Phil Coke isn’t available after his two innings Sunday, and unless he gets an inning Wednesday, Leyland said he probably won’t pitch again until he makes his first scheduled start Saturday. That means some other guys are going to have to step up if they have a lead in the seventh inning.

If they take a lead into the ninth, Jose Valverde is available, but he’s also battling a suspected case of food poisoning that he said had him throwing up all night. It doesn’t appear to be spreading around the clubhouse, but it’s probably worth keeping in mind in Valverde’s case.

TIGERS

Austin Jackson, CF

Will Rhymes, 2B

Magglio Ordonez, RF

Miguel Cabrera, 1B

Victor Martinez, DH

Brennan Boesch, LF

Jhonny Peralta, SS

Alex Avila, C

Brandon Inge, 3B

P: Rick Porcello

ORIOLES

Brian Roberts, 2B

Nick Markakis, RF

Derrek Lee, 1B

Vladimir Guerrero, DH

Matt Wieters, C

Adam Jones, CF

Mark Reynolds, 3B

Felix Pie, LF

J.J. Hardy, SS

P: Jake Arrieta

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19 Comments

Great, we score a ton of runs yesterday, so moron Leyland decides to switch things up again. Boesch needs to be hitting in front of Cabrera, not Ordonez. Santiago had a great game, so he puts Rhymes back in the lineup. Leyland is an idiot.

That’s four different lineups in four games and counting, but I have no problem with that early in the season. What bothers me is that Leyland always has at least one guy on the team who he’s been able to convince is only in the bigs because of Leyland. Then JL is free to jack that guy around. Raburn is the new Thames. There are other players on this team who can sit.
All that aside, let’s go get those Scott-free Orioles. Keep ‘em on the ground, Ricky.

Question from the weekend series, and I know that hindsight is 2020. Why did the Tigers not start Coke in Yankee Stadium. It makes no sense to sit your LH starter with that ridiculous porch in Right.
I am worried about Raburn. He needs confidence and Leyland has now sat him in half the games. He got a clutch RBI in the 9th yesterday. Why sit him? Sit Avilia. Let Martinez catch.

Thank god Luke Scott is not in this game!! I was thinking the same thing about Raburn, you tell him he has the starting job yet he doesn’t play in 2 games? I understand that you have to lay Boesch while ( if he is hot). But I still feel for him. Rhymes never made me nervous last year, not so much this year. Somehow, I think it might be nice to have the solid defense of Worth up here.??

Well two mistakes, and the orioles have their first run. Magglio didn’t hit the cut off man, so the runner gets to 3rd. Next and more importantly, Alex Avila isn’t a good catcher, and should of been able to smother that ball. The sad thing is that I called it, I said watch a wild pitch!

Rough start to this season all around so far – pitching and hitting and fielding errors. Come on guys, lets regroup on the off day tomorrow and remember how to play some good ball. I expect a great outing from JV but can’t say anything about the rest of the team. Same old stuff on offense, get guys in scoring position and they sit there. Yikes. So glad there is lots more to play and we are just starting, i just hope the rest is not like this.

Raburn is getting a bum deal. Another managment BS job and trying to placate fans by inserting a square peg into the round hole known as left field. How many years do they keep doing this?
Perhaps Raburn can be re-invented as an OF, I have my doubts he will ever be truly adequate, but it is patently unfair to “give” someone a job, and not “mean it”. He is an infielder. Not a slick one but OK on 2nd and I’ll repeat my assertion that he would be OK on 3rd as well.
I suspect we will be seeing Caspar get a little CF time if AJ keeps whiffing. 2 more today gives him 8 now in 4 games.
Villareal looks like he will be effective. Nice if Zoom comes back but reality is if and for how long. Brayan looks like he can replace him if need be.
Rats! Thes guys don’t look very professinal right now at all.

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